Newnan, Georgia
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| Newnan, Georgia | |
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| Coordinates: | |
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| Country | United States |
| State | Georgia |
| County | Coweta |
| Area | |
| - Total | 19.5 sq mi (46.9 km²) |
| - Land | 17.9 sq mi (46.4 km²) |
| - Water | 0.2 sq mi (0.5 km²) |
| Elevation | 971 ft (296 m) |
| Population (2006) | |
| - Total | 27,097 |
| - Density | 1,389.5/sq mi (577.8/km²) |
| Time zone | Eastern (EST) (UTC-5) |
| - Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) |
| Area code(s) | 770 |
| FIPS code | 13-55020[1] |
| GNIS feature ID | 0332499[2] |
Newnan is a city in Coweta County, Georgia, 39 miles (63 km) southwest of Atlanta. In 1900: 3,654 people lived in Newnan, Georgia; in 1910: 5,548, and in 1940: 7,182. The population was 16,242 at the 2000 Census. Newnan is one of the fastest growing cities in Georgia, with an estimated population of 24,654 in 2005 and 27,097 in July of 2006. The city is the county seat of Coweta County[3].
Newnan was ranked the wealthiest city per capita in The United States in the first half of the 20th Century.
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[edit] History
Newnan was first established as county seat of Coweta County (replacing the currently nonexistent town of Bullsboro) in 1828 and was named for North Carolinian General Daniel Newnan. Newnan quickly became a prosperous magnet for professionals such as lawyers and doctors, as well as various merchants. Much of Newnan's prosperity was due to the thriving cotton industry, which relied on slavery. Newnan was largely untouched by the American Civil War due to its status as a hospital city (for Confederate troops), and as a result is still home to much antebellum architecture. For this reason, Newnan is known as "The City of Homes." Celebrated architect Kennon Perry designed many of the town's 20th Century homes. During the Atlanta Campaign, Confederate cavalry badly defeated Union forces at the nearby Battle of Brown's Mill.
Newnan was host to the trial in 1948 of wealthy landowner John Wallace, the first white man in the south to be condemned to death by the testimony of African Americans, two field hands who were made to help with burning the body of murdered white sharecropper Wilson Turner. These events were portrayed in the novel Murder in Coweta County. The film version starred Johnny Cash, Andy Griffith, and June Carter.
The Newnan/Sharspburg area is home to three high schools, Newnan High School (founded in 1887), East Coweta High School (founded in 1946), and Northgate High School (founded in 1996). Newnan is also home to The Heritage School, a small private college preparatory school, grades pre-K to 12, that sends many students to top-20 universities. Newnan is served by the Coweta County School System.
The town is home to one of the few Georgia counties with a museum that focuses mainly on African American history. The Coweta County African American Heritage Museum and Research Center was opened in July 2003. It has collected hundreds of family genealogical records by interviewing residents and going through the census records. The museum also houses the Coweta Census Indexes from 1870 to 1920[4]. The first black library in the county was the Sara Fisher Brown Library. Built in the 1950's, the library has since been converted into the Community Action For Improvement Center [5].
[edit] Geography
Newnan is located at (33.376411, -84.788648)[6].
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 18.1 square miles (46.9 km²), of which, 17.9 square miles (46.4 km²) of it is land and 0.2 square miles (0.5 km²) of it (1.05%) is water.
[edit] Demographics
As of the census[1] of 2000, there were 16,242 people, 5,939 households, and 3,973 families residing in the city. The population density was 906.4 people per square mile (349.9/km²). There were 6,464 housing units at an average density of 360.7/sq mi (139.3/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 54.08% White, 42.15% African American, 0.20% Native American, 0.73% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 1.59% from other races, and 1.23% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.96% of the population.
There were 5,939 households out of which 34.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.0% were married couples living together, 23.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.1% were non-families. 27.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.60 and the average family size was 3.16.
In the city the population was spread out with 27.8% under the age of 18, 10.4% from 18 to 24, 31.9% from 25 to 44, 18.2% from 45 to 64, and 11.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females there were 91.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.5 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $36,142, and the median income for a family was $43,243. Males had a median income of $36,786 versus $25,314 for females. The per capita income for the city was $19,081. About 17.6% of families and 19.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 29.1% of those under age 18 and 18.1% of those age 65 or over.
[edit] Citizens of note
- Ellis Arnall, governor of Georgia (1943-1947)
- Hamilton Bohannon, musician and record producer
- Keith Brooking, Atlanta Falcons linebacker
- Lewis Grizzard, author
- Alan Jackson, CMA award winner
- Joe M. Jackson, United States Air Force|Air Force]] colonel
- Stephen W. Pless, Marine Corps major
- Jefferson Randolph "Soapy" Smith II, (1860-1898), infamous 19th century gambler, confidence man and crime boss
- Doug Stone, country music singer-songwriter
- Steve Young, pioneer country rock musician
[edit] Television and movie
- The ABC television series October Road is filmed in Newnan,[7] though it is actually set in the fictional town of Knights Ridge, Massachusetts.
- In the 1978 feature film The Sheriff and the Satellite Kid (original Italian title: Uno Sceriffo extraterrestre - poco extra e molto terrestre) featuring Bud Spencer his character is depicted as being the Sheriff of Newnan and the plot to take place in said city.
[edit] Airports and Major Roads and Highways
MAJOR ROADS
- Interstate 85
- Outer Perimeter
- Georgia State Route 34
- Georgia State Route 34 Bypass
- Georgia State Route 16
- Georgia State Route 70
- Lower Fayetteville Road
- Newnan Crossing Boulevard East
- United States Route 29
- United States Route 27
[edit] Airports
- Newnan-Coweta County Airport which provides chartered air service and flight training.
[edit] References
- ^ a b American FactFinder. United States Census Bureau. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
- ^ US Board on Geographic Names. United States Geological Survey (2007-10-25). Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
- ^ Find a County. National Association of Counties. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
- ^ The Coweta County Museum, Newnan Georgia: Black Firsts in Coweta County
- ^ The Coweta County Museum, Newnan Georgia: 03/01/2008 - 04/01/2008
- ^ US Gazetteer files: 2000 and 1990. United States Census Bureau (2005-05-03). Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
- ^ Filming locations of October Road at the IMDb
[edit] External links
- Newnan, Georgia is at coordinates Coordinates:
- The Soapy Smith Preservation Trust, Infamous badman born and raised between 1860-1876 in Newnan.
- Cowetanet Local website for Newnan and Coweta County Georgia.
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